The Trump administration has yet to make a decision on the fate of around 200,000 Salvadorans living in the United States under Temporary Protected Status, even though the designation was set to expire today.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said that until a further announcement is made, “Salvadoran individuals present in the U.S. under TPS retain protection.” Some Salvadorans with TPS protections have had it for decades. Salvadorans were the first immigrants granted TPS in 1990 following the nation’s civil war. They again received the protection in 2001 after earthquakes rocked the small country, and the designation has been renewed every time it has been up for reconsideration since.
Under TPS, immigrants have no direct mechanism through which to obtain permanent legal status. The designation allows immigrants protection from deportation and the ability to legally work in the United States.
Under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, DHS has eliminated protections for immigrants from 14 countries, roughly 1.3 million people, including for immigrants from Haiti, Syria and Venezuela. Lebanon, Ukraine and Sudan are the last three countries with TPS, in addition to El Salvador, and their designation is up for renewal in the coming months.
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Dulce Guzmán, the executive director of the nonprofit coalition Alianza Americas, said Salvadoran TPS holders have been “living in limbo” as they await a decision from the Trump administration. The lack of a formal decision on Wednesday has only created more uncertainty for immigrants who are supposedly protected by the announcement today.
“Without having a formal announcement or document that TPS holders can provide to their employers or the DMV, it really is just not a significant enough protection for people,” Guzmán said, adding that these TPS holders would have nothing to show immigration agents if they are stopped or detained.
In June, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end the legal protections for immigrants fleeing from Haiti and Syria, overturning lower court orders and opening the way for the complete dismantling of the program.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin is required to give a 60-day notice of intention to terminate status before it ends, although with previous countries that has not been the case. If DHS does not make a decision on a TPS designation, it is automatically extended for another six months.
“It’s really important for communities to hear directly from the administration through the formal process that the law has established to let communities know you know how to prepare and how to navigate this uncertainty,” Guzmán said. “This does not only affect the TPS holders themselves, but it also affects their children, their families, the employers that depend on their labor and local economy.”
This article has been updated with comments from Dulce Guzmán.
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